Kidnapped Businessman Reunited With His Family Another Mastermind Arrested (Pics)
Three days after being kidnapped, a Lenasia businessman has been safely reunited with his family.
On Tuesday, March 15, a 34-year-old businessman named Luqman Kazi was abducted on his way to work. Saps then put together a multidisciplinary team to find Kazi and apprehend the kidnappers. Teams swooped in on four locations at the same time during the midnight takedown operation on Thursday.
Police located and retrieved the victim at the first address in Lawley. The team also seized an unlicensed 9mm firearm and arrested three suspects.
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The team arrested three more suspects at the other addresses in Lenasia, including a 43-year-old Mozambican national suspected of masterminding a number of kidnapping cases in Gauteng.
Police also discovered and seized R6 million in cash, which they believe was paid as a ransom in other kidnapping cases.
They also seized an unlicensed AK47 rifle, ammunition, one hijacked vehicle, a VW Polo suspected of being used in the businessman’s kidnapping, military-grade signal jammers, and various vehicle registration number plates.
“All six are facing charges of kidnapping, extortion, money laundering, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition as well as possession of a hijacked motor vehicle,” said Saps in a statement.
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General Khehla Sitole, the National Police Commissioner, praised the team’s perseverance. “This success would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the dedication and persistent efforts of members from the Crime Intelligence National Kidnapping Task Team, the Special Task Force (STF), Organised Crime, Gauteng Flying Squad and Gauteng Province Saturation Unit, EMPD, Visible Policing and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI).
“We also appreciate the assistance by private security who continue to be our eyes and ears,” said Sitole.
An unrelated kidnapping case resulted in the rescue of four Bangladesh nationals in Betrams, Gauteng, thanks to an intelligence-driven operation. The four were kidnapped last Thursday in Musina, Limpopo. Since then, two Ethiopian nationals have been apprehended.
